M OORES TOWN F RI EN DS S C H OOL
RETURN TO SCHOOL 2020 A S OF J U LY 1 0 , 2 0 2 0
TA BLE OF C ON TEN TS SETTING THE STAGE
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HEALTH & HYGIENE
Page 8-12
TEACHING & LEARNING
Page 13-18
SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL WELLNESS & COMMUNITY
Page 19-21
CAMPUS LIFE
Page 22-25
TUITION & FEES
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INVESTMENTS IN SAFETY, PROGRAM, & COMMUNITY
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WHAT WE WILL GAIN
Page 28
PREPARING FOR REOPENING
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COMMITTEE ON REOPENING SCHOOL
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Please offer feedback or share questions on the reopening plan by completing this survey. Note: The contents of this reopening plan may change as the global health situation evolves. Moorestown Friends School will make adjustments in accordance with the latest guidance from experts and will communicate frequently with the community.
OUR MISSION Moor estown Fr iends Sc hool is a c ommunity r ooted in Quaker v alues and dedic ated to the pur suit of educ ational exc ellenc e for a div er se student body within an ac ademic ally r igor ous and balanc ed pr ogr am emphasizing per sonal, ethic al and spir itual gr owth. — Fal l 1987, revi sed May 2011
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SETTIN G THE STA GE INTRODUCTION The Moor estown Fr iends Sc hool Administr ativ e Counc il and the Committee on Reopening Sc hool (CRS) hav e been ac tiv ely r esear c hing and planning how best to r eopen for the 2020-21 sc hool year in a way that is true to our Quaker missio n and aligned with expert guid anc e. Our pr imar y goal is to pr ov ide the best educ ation possible in the healthiest and safest way, while pr ov iding flexibility to students, families, and employees as we nav igate the COVID-19 pandemic as a c ommunity. Our pref erenc e and plan is to return to in-perso n learning. Howev er , we ar e pr epar ed to piv ot to an enhanc ed v er sion of Vir tual MFS or offer a hybr id lear ning exper ienc e, as the ev er ev olv ing situation r equir es. This r eopening plan outlines our expec tations for the fall. We will c ontinue to r ev ise and r efine it in the weeks leading up to opening day in light of the most c ur r ent guidanc e fr om loc al and state author ities. Please know that although c ir c umstanc es may c hange thr oughout the year , our c ommitment to the ac ademic gr owth of c hildr en and their spir itual and emotional health will r emain our singular foc us, no matter the c ontext. We look for war d to welc oming you bac k to MFS.
. . . al tho ug h ci rcumstances may chang e thro ug ho ut the year, o ur co mmi tment to the academi c g ro wth o f chi l dren and thei r sp i ri tual and emo ti o nal heal th wi l l remai n o ur si ng ul ar fo cus, no matter the co ntext.
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SETTING THE STAGE FIRS T D AYS OF SCHOOL* A ug us t 2 4 - 28, 2020: Optional playgroups for PS, PK, K (advanced registration re q u i r e d ) S ep t em b er 1 - 2, 2020: Required Lo wer School orientation sessions, Preschool - G r a d e 4 S ep t em b er 9, 2020** A l l L o w e r School students in session (half day for PS, PK, K) F i r s t h a l f of Middle and Upper School students in session for the full day S ep t em b er 1 0, 2020**Â A l l L o w e r School students in session (half day for PS, PK, K) S e c o n d h alf of Middle and Upper School students in session for the full day S ep t em b er 1 1, 2020: All students in session for the full day S ep t em b er 14, 2020: Modified In-Person Learning starts (see Teaching & Learning s e c t i o n )
* An y s t ud en t s o r f am i l i es r et ur n i n g f r o m ab r o ad o r a s t at e w i t h s i g n i f i can t s p r ead o f C O V ID - 19 (as i d en t i f i ed h er e b y t h e St at e o f N ew J er s ey ) m us t s el f - q uar an t i n e f o r 1 4 d ay s . D ep en d i n g o n t he dates of t r avel , t h e s t ud en t m ay n o t b e ab l e t o s t ar t s ch o o l o n t i m e an d i n p er s o n . Pl eas e car ef ul l y co nsider any t r avel b ef o r e t h e s t ar t o f s ch o o l . * * Pl eas e n o t e t h at w e w i l l s p l i t MS an d US s t ud en t s i n t o t w o g r o up s t o b r i n g t h em o n cam p us for the first t i m e o n Sep t em b er 9 an d 1 0 . T h er e ar e m an y n ew p r o t o col s an d r o ut i n es t o l ear n f o r s t ud en t s and staff al i ke. R ed uci n g t h e n um b er s o f s t ud en t s o n cam p us d ur i n g t h e f i r s t t w o d ay s w i l l al l o w f o r a smoother t r an s i t i o n . Mo r e d et ai l s w i l l b e f o r t h co m i n g .
OU R C OM M IT M EN T A s a l w a y s, w e a r e hu m b l ed a nd g r a tef u l for the o p p o r tu ni ty to p r o v i d e a l o v i ng , c a r i ng , a nd safe env i r o nm ent f o r o u r stu d ents, r o o ted i n and g u i d ed b y o u r Qu a ker v a l u es. A s a c o m munity, w e c o m m i t to a l w a y s keep i ng stu d ents at the c enter o f o u r d ec i si o ns a nd d el i v er i ng on our m i ssi o n to p r o v i d e a r i g o r o u s a c a d emic exp er i enc e c o m b i ned w i th o p p o r tu ni ti es for p er so na l , sp i r i tu a l , a nd ethi c a l g r o w th.
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SETTIN G THE STA GE GUIDING PRINCIPLES The following pr inc iples will guide our leader ship team as we make the best dec isions possible for our c ommunity. Our top pr ior ity is the c ollec tiv e health and saf ety of our students, fac ulty, staff, and families. We will str iv e to make dec isions that c an be sustained by all c ommunity member s ov er the c our se of the sc hool year . Clear and regular c ommunic ation with our c ommunity is c r itic al for maintaining tr ust and ensur ing the smoothest exper ienc e for all inv olv ed. Our f ound ational Quaker values of integr ity, c ommunity, equality, and stewar dship will be c or e to how we make dec isions. We ar e c ommitted to maintaining a str ong educ ational exper ienc e for our students thr ough the pandemic and will make sound financ ial c hoic es to ensur e the long-term sustainability of the institution for gener ations mor e. The “power of small” – as a small sc hool, we will ad apt as need ed to meet the c hanging situation and to minimize disr uption for students. Remaining inc lusive in our dec ision making will help us best addr ess the needs of our div er se c onstituents.
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SETTIN G THE STA GE EXPERT GUIDANCE In all stages of planning for the r eopening of sc hool, Moor estown Fr iends is c losely monitor ing and following the guidanc e fr om the Center s for Disease Contr ol and Pr ev ention (CDC). In addition, we hav e str ong r elationships with loc al health author ities in or der to stay c ur r ent on the latest fac ts, mitigation str ategies, and r esponse effor ts in the fac e of COVID-19. MFS is ensur ing that our r eopening plans align with the r equir ements and expec tations outlined by Gov er nor Mur phy in the State’s The Road Back: Res tart and Recovery Pl an for Educati on (Exec utiv e Summar y or Full Plan). In addition to many other r esour c es, we hav e c onsider ed r ec ommendations fr om the Childr en’s Hospital of Philadelphia Polic yLab and the Har v ar d T. H. Chan Sc hool of Public Health, whic h hav e both pr ov ided helpful per spec tiv es to sc hools on how to safely r eopen. We hav e also c alled upon the exper tise of a number of alumni, par ents of alumni, and other fr iends of MFS with extensiv e bac kgr ound in a v ar iety of industr ies outside of K-12 educ ation that c an infor m our thinking on r eopening sc hool in a c ar eful and intentional way. These adv isor s inc lude: Ken Mayer, M.D. ’ 68, Pr ofessor of Medicine, Global Health and Population, Har var d Univer sity (infectious disease and COVID vaccines) Annette Reboli, M.D. , Pr ofessor of Medicine and Dean, Cooper Medical School of Rowan Univer sity (infectious disease and hospital epidemiology) Howard Orel, M.D., Pr esident/CEO, Advocar e, LLC (pediatr ics) Albert Freedman, Ph.D., Fr eedman Counseling Associates (psychology and schools) Mic hael Strambler, Ph.D. ’ 92, Dir ector , Child Well-Being and Education Resear ch, The Consultation Center at Yale (child psychology and COVID) Sarah Feyerherm ’ 82, Vice Pr esident for Student Affair s, Chair of the COVID Planning Gr oup, Washington College (higher education) Laurenc e Kotlikof f ’ 69, Pr ofessor of Economics, Boston Univer sity (economics and COVID testing) Chris Gheysens, CEO of Wawa, Inc. (business and ser vice industr y)
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SETTIN G THE STA GE CREATING A LAY ERED APPROACH In the fac e of COVID-19, ther e is unfor tunately no appr oac h that will guar antee safety at all times. Reopening sc hool means ther e will be some lev el of inher ent r isk. Moor estown Fr iends is taking a layer ed appr oac h to our planning, employing a number of str ategies and tac tic s to r educ e r isk to c hildr en, adults, and families. Ther e is no single solution to the c hallenges that lie ahead, but we hav e taken steps to c r eate the healthiest c lassr ooms, buildings, pr oc edur es, and polic ies possible so that students c an foc us on lear ning in a c ar ing env ir onment. We also r ely on you! No single per son c an gr eet this c hallenge alone. We depend on students, employees, and families to c ollaborate and c ooperate with us, and we pr omise to c ommunic ate often with you as the situation ev olv es. We know you plac e gr eat tr ust in Moor estown Fr iends Sc hool, and we plac e our tr ust in our c ommunity so that together we c an nav igate this pandemic . Our go al is to have all stud ents o n c ampus when po ssible. Cur r ent plans c all for a differ ent sc hedule in the fir st days of sc hool to ac c ommodate a v ar iety of new pr oc edur es, sc r eenings, and other r outines that will look quite differ ent fr om year s past. We will r emain c ommunic ativ e and will pr ov ide mor e infor mation in the weeks leading up to September .
COMMUNITY RESPONSIBILITIES W e all p lay an im p o r tant r o le in p r ev enting the sp r ead o f illness o n c am p u s. I n adv anc e o f the sc ho o l y ear , all f am ilies w ill b e asked to sig n the Hea l th a n d Wel l n es s P l ed ge as p ar t o f a sp ec ial c o m m itm ent in the c o m ing y ear to saf eg u ar d o u r c o m m u nity f r o m COV I D-19. A ltho u g h a m o r e detailed f o r m w ill b e c o m ing later this su m m er , the key exp ec tatio ns w e hav e o f o u r f am ilies inc lu de the f o llo w ing : Co m p lete a daily sy m p to m su r v ey f o r eac h c hild p r io r to ar r iv ing o n c am p u s. Keep y o u r c hild at ho m e if they sho w any sig ns o f illness. Keep y o u r c hild ho m e if they , o ther s in y o u r ho u seho ld, o r so m eo ne c lo se to y o u r c hild ar e exp o sed to o r test p o sitiv e f o r COV I D-19; c o ntac t the sc ho o l im m ediately . Pic k u p y o u r c hild p r o m p tly if they sho w sy m p to m s o f illness and need to g o ho m e. Fo llo w f eder al, state, and lo c al o r der s r eg ar ding so c ial distanc ing and o ther m easu r es to p r ev ent the sp r ead o f COV I D-19. Pr o v ide y o u r c hild w ith a f ac e c o v er ing o n a daily b asis. Pr ac tic e and r einf o r c e healthy b ehav io r s at ho m e. Keep y o u r m edic al inf o r m atio n c u r r ent w ith the sc ho o l.
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HEA LTH & HY GIEN E At sc hool, students and employees c an r educ e the spr ead of COVID-19 by maintaining healthy behav ior s, inc luding r egular handwashing, the use of fac e c ov er ings, good c oughing etiquette, soc ial distanc ing, r educ ed mixing between gr oups, and limited shar ing of supplies or mater ials. Staying ho me when exhibiting any signs o f illness is partic ularly impo rtant and we ask that all families adher e to this r equest. MFS will wor k har d to ensur e c hildr en r emain c onnec ted to their c lassr ooms, and teac her s will make r easonable adjustments to suppor t students’ c ontinued lear ning. In this way, no one will need to take the r isk of c oming to sc hool when sic k. All of these layer ed tac tic s will mitigate the ov er all r isk to the c ommunity.
SOCIAL DISTANCING & FACE COVERINGS In ac c or danc e with CDC r ec ommendations and guidanc e fr om the State of New Jer sey, MFS will wor k with our c ommunity to maintain soc ial distanc e between member s whenev er possible. We ar e wor king to measur e and adapt c lassr ooms, mov e desks, r emov e fur nitur e when needed, and r ear r ange seating to fac ilitate soc ial distanc ing. Wher e soc ial distanc e is not possible, we ar e adding par titions and dir ec ting students to wear fac e c ov er ings. The c ur r ent guidanc e fr om the State of New Jer sey is that all sc hool staf f and visitors ar e r equir ed to wear f ac e c overings unless doing so would inhibit an indiv idual’s health or if the v isitor is under two year s of age. All stud ents ar e r equir ed to wear fac e c ov er ings if soc ial distanc ing measur es c annot be maintained (unless doing so would inhibit a student’s health). In c lassr ooms, hallways, bathr ooms, or other c ommon spac es wher e soc ial distanc e c annot easily be maintained, students ar e expec ted to wear fac e c ov er ings. For o ur yo ungest stud ents , it may not be r ealistic to keep a fac e c ov er ing on a c hild, nor may it be adv isable. Giv en the limited mixing of our youngest students with other c ohor ts and our small c lass sizes at those gr ade lev els, we will r ely on our teac her s to use their best judgment if students ar e str uggling to keep fac e c ov er ings on. We will also spac e c hildr en out as often as possible, espec ially dur ing r ec ess, naps, and mealtimes, so that students c an be without c ov er ings. MFS will pro vid e a f ac e c o vering to stud ents at the start of the year, but it is adv isable to hav e sev er al at home that fit the student and ar e c omfor table to wear for extended per iods of time. Exper ts r ec ommend masks that fit snugly, ar e ideally thr ee layer s thic k, and ar e made of mor e tightly-wov en fabr ic s, suc h as 100% c otton. Giv en that fac e c ov er ings should be washed r egular ly, it is a good idea to hav e a r otation of c ov er ings to c hoose fr om.
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HEA LTH & HY GIEN E SOCIAL DISTANCING & FACE COVERINGS, CONT' D Fac ulty/staff may wear c lear fac e shields when able to maintain soc ial distanc e fr om students, whic h may make it easier to instr uc t and for students to under stand both the wor ds and emotions of the teac her . When wor king in c lose pr oximity with students and when soc ial distanc ing c annot be maintained, employees ar e expec ted to wear masks. We know that the idea of a c hild wear ing a fac e c ov er ing all day may not seem pr ac tic al or r ealistic , depending on the age of the c hild. For c hildr en and employees alike, wear ing fac e c ov er ings ev er y day may bec ome fatiguing and fr ustr ating. We will wor k har d, espec ially as weather per mits, to bring c hild ren outsid e as muc h as possible and to enc our age “fac e c ov er ing br eaks” when appr opr iate (suc h as outside time when soc ial distanc ing c an be maintained). By taking adv antage of lower -r isk times to take a br eak fr om fac e c ov er ings, we believ e that students and employees will be mor e likely to wear them dur ing higher -r isk ac tiv ities.
LIMITING CONTACT CHAINS In all div isions we ar e wor king to limit the mixing of c hildr en and adults when appr opr iate and keeping c lass gr oups as separ ate and distinc t as possible. In the Lower Sc hool for example, this will mean spec ial ar ea teac her s c oming to students, as opposed to students tr av eling between c lassr ooms. In the Middle and Upper Sc hool, it will mean spec ially designed sc hedules that hav e longer c lass per iods to allow for mor e in-depth lear ning oppor tunities, while also red uc ing mo vement between c lasses thr oughout the day whenev er feasible. Although we c annot eliminate mixing between c ohor ts, we will signific antly r educ e points of c ontac t in or der to r educ e the potential for v ir al spr ead and to fac ilitate c ontac t tr ac ing should a c ase of COVID-19 pr esent itself in our c ommunity. See the T eachi ng & Learni ng sec tion for mor e details on the c ohor t c onc ept and ac ademic exper ienc e.
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HEA LTH & HY GIEN E LIMITING CONTACT CHAINS, CONT' D We ask that students and employees shar e materials and supplies as little as possible. In Lower Sc hool, students will hav e their own sets of supplies that will be stor ed and labeled separ ately. In all gr ades, we ask that students not shar e dev ic es, food, sc hool supplies, or other items in an effor t to r educ e the spr ead of ger ms. If this is not possible, disinfec ting wipes will be av ailable in ar eas wher e shar ed items ar e likely to be found, so students c an c lean items between user s. Loc ker use will be disc our aged and limited to av oid c ongr egating in the hallways in a way that makes maintaining soc ial distanc e diffic ult.
HANDWASHING & HAND SANITIZER Handwashing with soap and water for at least 20 sec onds should take plac e after going to the bathr oom, befor e/after eating, after blowing one’s nose, c oughing, or sneezing. If soap and water ar e not av ailable and hands ar e not v isibly dir ty, an alc oholbased hand sanitizer that c ontains at least 60% alc ohol is r ec ommended. MFS is installing touc hless hand sanitizer d ispensers in ev er y c lassr oom and at key entr y/exit points on c ampus. We ar e also adding hand washing stations in key loc ations in addition to bathr ooms (whic h will hav e a limit on the number of students allowed at any giv en time). Fac ulty and staff will enc our age students to wash hands fr equently thr oughout the day, and longer passing per iods hav e been built into the sc hedule to enc our age students to r emain v igilant in their handwashing pr ac tic es.
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HEA LTH & HY GIEN E CLEANING & AIR FLOW MFS will adher e to c ur r ent c leaning prac tic es and proto c ols and will stay infor med of any new guidanc e fr om loc al health author ities. In addition, we ar e dev eloping a sc hedule of mor e r egular c leaning/disinfec ting of high-touc h sur fac es thr oughout the day. Spec ial attention will be giv en to c lassr oom sur fac es, bathr ooms, door handles, shar ed objec ts, and high-tr affic ar eas. Disinfec ting supplies will be av ailable for use in eac h c lassr oom. Wher e disinfec tants ar e used, pr oduc ts will be r egister ed with the U. S. Env ir onmental Pr otec tion Agenc y. Â The sc hool is also installing c lear plexiglass shield s in ar eas wher e ther e is fr equent fac e-tofac e inter ac tion (fr ont desk, libr ar y desk, business offic e, div ision offic es, etc . ). To av oid c r owding in bathro oms and loc ker ro oms, limited c apac ities will be put in plac e. Water fountains will not be in use next year , but water f illing statio ns will still be ac c essible and r egular ly disinfec ted. We enc our age students to br ing their own water bottles to c ampus in an effor t to pr omote hydr ation, enc our age sustainable pr ac tic es, and limit the spr ead of ger ms. When possible, we will enc our age the opening of windows and door s to inc r ease air f low, dilute any air bor ne v ir us that might be pr esent, and intr oduc e fr esh air into lear ning spac es. Weather per mitting, teac her s will be enc our aged to take c lasses outside, and outdoor lear ning spac es will be maximized and av ailable for use. We ar e c onduc ting a r ev iew of our HVAC systems and adding str onger filter s to those that may benefit fr om upgr ades. To the extent possible, we will minimize r ec ir c ulation of indoor air .
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HEA LTH & HY GIEN E ILLNESS ON CAMPUS Students who show any signs or symptoms of illness that c ould be passed on to other s will not be allowed to attend sc hool. If students ar e well enough to attend c lasses, r easonable ac c ommodations will be made for those students to join on-c ampus lear ning thr ough v ir tual c hannels (Zoom, Google Meet, etc ). What this looks like may v ar y fr om div ision to div ision, depending on what is dev elopmentally appr opr iate for the age of the c hild. Attendanc e polic ies will be flexible, and students will not be penalized if they ar e sic k. We will hav e measur es in plac e to pr ior itize students' c ontinuity of lear ning if they ar e absent for extended per iods of time. We will be using a COVID-19 sc reening and trac king app designed for K-12 sc hools. Par ents/guar dians will be asked to c omplete a quic k symptom sur v ey on behalf of their c hild on a daily basis in or der to c ome to sc hool. In addition to c hec king for a r ange of symptoms, par ents/guar dians will be asked to take their c hild’s temper atur e, so ev er y family must hav e a wor king ther mometer at home for daily use. This will help us wor k c ollabor ativ ely with families to make MFS as safe and healthy as possible. Symptom sur v eys will also be used by employees on a daily basis, and appr ov ed v isitor s to c ampus must adher e to the same r equir ements. MFS is c reating ad d itional spac e on c ampus to ac c ommodate students or adults who show signs of illness dur ing the sc hool day and need to go home. By hav ing a separ ate spac e, it will allow us to c ontinue to ser v e students in need of fir st aid or other ser v ic es in the Nur se’s offic e, while keeping those with symptoms in an isolated and disc r eet spac e until they ar e pic ked up by their par ent/guar dian. We enc our age anyone with symptoms of COVID-19 or anyone who has c ome in c ontac t with someone who has COVID-19 to seek d iagnostic viral testing and to maintain c ommunic ation with the sc hool. The CRS is c ur r ently dev eloping spec if ic respo nse proto c ols, in c oor dination with our c ounty health offic ials, should we enc ounter a c ase of COVID-19 on c ampus. Families who hav e par tic ular c onc er n for the health of their c hildr en due to preexisting c ond itions o r other high-risk c ategories should c ontac t the appr opr iate Div ision Dir ec tor as soon as possible, so that we c an wor k with your family to addr ess your c onc er ns and pr ov ide suppor t. Lower Sc ho ol: Jenel Giles, jgiles@mfr iends. or g Mid d le Sc ho ol: Ev an Haine-Rober ts, ehainer ober ts@mfr iends. or g Upper Sc hoo l: Noah Rac hlin, nr ac hlin@mfr iends. or g
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TEA C HIN G & LEA RN IN G The sc hool day this year will take plac e fr om 8: 15 a.m. until 3: 15 p.m. Our goal is to maximize on-c ampus lear ning with c hildr en if per mitted by the State and if we deem it appr opr iate for our c ommunity. Depending on The Road Bac k r eopening plan fr om New Jer sey, this may mean that all students ar e on c ampus, we ar e exper ienc ing a modified c ampus sc hedule, or we ar e oper ating c ompletely online. We will be c r eativ ely using lar ge spac es on c ampus in an effor t to welc ome bac k as many students as possible ac c or ding to health and safety guidelines. This may mean unc onv entional c lassr ooms like the Auditor ium or a gymnasium. We believ e prio ritizing having stud ents on c ampus will pr ov ide a gr eater benefit to student lear ning, whic h outweighs any potential downsides of using non-tr aditional lear ning spac es. Â We hav e revamped the Virtual MFS experienc e in all div isions based on our liv ed exper ienc es this spr ing and on additional r esear c h and planning this summer . We hav e also r equir ed indepth pro f essional d evelopment for all fac ulty this summer in an effor t to str engthen our ability to piv ot fr om in-per son to online lear ning and to maximize div er se lear ning modalities. We ar e suppor ting our fac ulty to r e-env ision what hybr id lear ning c ould look like should students par tic ipate in c lass r emotely or in per son on any giv en day. Tec hnology inv estments will allow students to par tic ipate mor e easily in their lear ning and for teac her s to stay c onnec ted to students no matter the c ontext.
Fl exi bi l i ty i s the k ey f o r the c o mi n g s c ho o l yea r. This m eans f lexib ility f o r o u r sc ho o l to p iv o t o nline as the health situ atio n ev o lv es and f lexib ility f o r stu dents to p ar tic ip ate in lear ning ac c o r ding to their needs.
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TEA C HIN G & LEA RN IN G LEARNING SCENARIOS The following four lear ning sc enar ios allow for the flexibility needed to quic kly piv ot and adapt as the guidanc e for sc hools c hanges. Fr om all in-per son lear ning on c ampus to all-r emote lear ning fr om home, we hav e designed sc enar ios to adjust to the latest guidanc e fr om the CDC and the State of New Jer sey. Our plan is to open in the Mod if ied In-Person Learning sc enario and remain in this mo d e as long as possible. In ad d ition to allo wing f or 100% in-perso n learning, it also gives f amilies the f lexibility to have their c hild learn remotely, if nec essary. Please note that while in Modified In-Per son Lear ning, the r emote exper ienc e for a c hild will not be like Vir tual MFS, nor will it c ompletely r eplic ate in-per son lear ning. Steps will be taken to keep students engaged in c lassr oom lessons in ways that ar e dev elopmentally appr opr iate and tec hnologic ally feasible. If ther e is a need to r educ e the number of people on c ampus at any point, we may mov e to Modified Remote Lear ning. In this c ase our pr ior ity will be to ensur e Pr esc hool - Gr ade 6 c an be ac c ommodated for in-per son lear ning daily and Gr ades 7-12 will hav e an alter nating in-per son sc hedule. For details, see the Mi ddl e/Upper School Schedul e sec tion below.
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TEA C HIN G & LEA RN IN G TECHNOLOGY & ACCESS In an effor t to pr ov ide maximum flexibility and equitable ac c ess, MFS will loan Chromebo oks to all students this year in Pr esc hool - Gr ade 12. This 1: 1 program is designed to addr ess the unique c hallenges of the 2020-21 sc hool year and will eliminate the need for students to shar e c omputer s by pr ov iding ev er yone with their own dev ic e. Should we find our selv es in Vir tual MFS for extended per iods of time, these dev ic es will allow ev en our youngest lear ner s a way to seamlessly ac c ess their teac her s and c onnec t with c lassmates in a dev elopmentally appr opr iate way. As we did last year , we will sur v ey families about Inter net c onnec tiv ity and other tec hnology needs to ensur e an equitable exper ienc e for all. Mor e infor mation, for ms, and tr aining will be for thc oming, but we hope this inv estment of tec hnology will ease c onc er ns and pr ov ide an adequate infr astr uc tur e to help students c omplete their studies and maintain c ontac t with the c ommunity should they be home for per iods of time this year . In addition, por table Smartbo ard s and TVs will be used in any adapted c lassr ooms, Wi-Fi inf rastruc ture will be enhanc ed to suppor t the added tr affic of the 1: 1 pr ogr am, and tec hnolo gy support will be extended to all students and families while in r emote mode to ensur e all nec essar y r esour c es ar e adequately ac c essible.
HY BRID LEARNING We r ec ognize that although our goal is on-c ampus lear ning for all students on a daily basis, this may not always be possible for a v ar iety of r easons. Some families may not be able to hav e their c hildr en r etur n to c ampus for r easons r elated to the v ir us. Ther e may also be times when we elec t or ar e asked to de-densify our c ampus by hav ing c ohor ts of students c ontinue their lear ning fr om home on a r otating basis. By using tec hnology to extend the reac h o f our c lassro oms, MFS students c an maintain their daily lear ning sc hedule r emotely, either in full or in par t (depending on the dev elopmental needs of the student). All c lassr ooms will be equipped with r emote c apability, and students will hav e sc hool-issued Chr omebooks, allowing them to suc c essfully par tic ipate in c lassr oom exper ienc es. Flexibility by and for students, families, and the sc hool will be key this year as the global health situation ev olv es.
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TEA C HIN G & LEA RN IN G LOWER SCHOOL COHORTS If c ampus is open, Lower Sc hool students will be on c ampus ev er y day. Younger students thr iv e on c onsistenc y and benefit fr om being with their teac her s in per son whenev er possible. While on c ampus, students will spend the major ity of their day in their home c lassr oom gr oups. Our goal is to mitigate r isk by r educ ing c ontac t between gr oups of students and the use of typic ally shar ed spac es. Spec ial ar ea teac her s will wor k with students in their home c lassr oom to minimize mov ement thr oughout the building. The Lower Sc hool sc hedules will lar gely r esemble those of year s past and will ac c ommodate c hanges to outdoor r ec ess sc hedules and allow for easier piv oting between in-per son and r emote lear ning. Classroom instruc tio n will happen in the typic al manner while adher ing to appr opr iate distanc ing guidelines. Dur ing pr olonged absenc es, students will be able to c onnec t to their c lass r emotely for selec t lessons and ac tiv ities. Teac her s will also send wor k home for students. Large gatherings suc h as Meeting for Wor ship and assembly will happen in c lassr oom c ohor ts or ov er digital platfor ms suc h as Zoom or Google Meet.
MIDDLE/UPPER SCHOOL SCHEDULE Students in Gr ades 5-12 will exper ienc e a new fiv e-day r otating sc hedule: ABCAB. This sc hedule offer s c onsistenc y for students whether we ar e all in per son or all online. We expec t to open sc ho ol in the Mod if ied In-Perso n Learning sc enario and hope to remain in this mo d e as long as the guid anc e allo ws. Some basic featur es of the ABCAB sc hedule ar e: Major c our ses meet thr ee times a week in two 85-minute bloc ks and one 40-minute bloc k Middle Sc hool students will c ontinue to hav e the ac tiv ity bloc k Upper Sc hool students will c ontinue to hav e thr ee minor c our se bloc ks AB days r epeat Monday/Tuesday and Thur sday/Fr iday C days (Wednesdays) hav e shor ter c lass per iods and many minor /spec ial c lasses Longer passing time between c lasses Mor e time for lunc h and lunc h-time ac tiv ities This sc hedule allows us to adjust quic kly fr om Modified In-Per son Lear ning to Modified Remote Lear ning, and ev en to Vir tual MFS, if needed. The sc hedule will r emain the same in all lear ning sc enar ios. The lo nger bloc ks of c lass time help r educ e the number of people that students and adults hav e c ontac t with eac h day. They also pr ov ide teac her s with the ability to go in gr eater depth, and c omplete labor ator ies, pr ojec ts, or c ollabor ativ e wor k. Students may find they hav e homewor k for fewer subjec ts eac h night sinc e their c lasses do not meet daily. We hav e gr ouped students in Gr ades 5-10 into c ohor ts that hav e as muc h c ommon c lass time together as possible to r educ e inter ac tion with other s. Giv en the unique natur e of student sc hedules in
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TEA C HIN G & LEA RN IN G MIDDLE/UPPER SCHOOL SCHEDULE, CONT' D Gr ades 11 and 12, these students will hav e gr eater inter ac tion with other s and we hope to assign their c lasses to par tic ular ar eas of the building when possible. Passing time between c lasses has been inc r eased to 10 minutes to allow for stagger ed passing that minimizes exposur e to other s. If guidanc e fr om the State of New Jer sey c hanges, and/or the number of students allowed on c ampus is r educ ed at any point dur ing the year , students will tr ansition to the Mod if ied Remote Learning sc enario. Gr ades 5 and 6 will c ontinue to c ome to sc hool eac h day. Gr ades 7-12 will div ide into two c ohor ts, with one gr oup c oming to sc hool Monday thr ough Wednesday and the other gr oup c oming Thur sday and Fr iday. The following week Wednesday will alter nate to the c ohor t that only had two on-c ampus lear ning days the week befor e. We also hav e the flexibility to piv ot to all r emote lear ning on Wednesdays for Gr ades 7-12 students if a deep c lean of c ampus between c ohor ts bec omes nec essar y. When c ohor ts ar e lear ning fr om home they will par tic ipate in r emote lear ning c onc ur r ently, joining thr ough Zoom or Google Meet. Â Lar ge-gr oup ac tiv ities suc h as Meeting for Wor ship, lunc h, c lass meetings, assembly, and other s will be held either outdoor s, when possible, or in small-gr oup settings. Zoom and Google Meet will be utilized fr om multiple c lassr ooms when appr opr iate.
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TEACHING & LEARNING RECESS & OUTSIDE TIME Rec ess and time spent outside is c r itic al for the mental, physic al, and emotional health of c hildr en. Espec ially in a year when students may be mor e limited to par tic ular c lassr ooms, we will prio ritize rec ess and time o utd o ors. Rec ess times in the Lower Sc hool will be stagger ed to r educ e lar ge gr oups on the playgr ound at onc e and to limit mixing between c ohor ts. Gr ade lev els will be assigned a designated ar ea of the playgr ound whic h will r otate thr oughout the year to offer v ar iety. Students will be asked to wash their hands befor e and after playing outside. Additional spac es will be made av ailable to students in all div isions to enc our age time outside. The Peac e Pole ar ea, the Ov al, Stokes Hall c our tyar d, the gr assy ar ea off Mc Shap Path, and the Van Meter Hall bac k lawn will all be used by c hildr en in differ ent div isions for soc ially distanc ed outside time. Shar ed equipment–suc h as balls, fr isbees, and sand toys–will be disc our aged. Limited use of balls or other equipment may be used, c hec ked out fr om teac her s, and subsequently disinfec ted between c ohor ts.
PHY SICAL EDUCATION Physic al educ ation will be r e-env isioned to adher e to state guidelines. Students will par tic ipate in low-impac t ac tiv ities that do not inv olv e c hanging c lothes for PE c lass. Loc ker r oom use will be v er y limited, so all students ar e enc our aged to c ome to c ampus wear ing c omfor table c lothing that c ould be used for outside PE ac tiv ity. Shar ed equipment will be limited and sanitized after eac h use; physic al distanc ing will be r equir ed. Most PE ac tiv ities will inv olv e wor king on indiv idual skills in a designated spac e physic ally distant fr om other s in the c lass. Whenev er possible, students will par tic ipate in PE outside.
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SOC IA LEM OTION A L WELLN ESS & C OM M U N ITY Soc ial and Emotional Lear ning (SEL) is an integr al par t of teac hing and lear ning and is foundational to the MFS c ommunity. SEL is defined as the pr oc ess thr ough whic h c hildr en and adults under stand and manage emotions, set and ac hiev e positiv e goals, establish and maintain positiv e r elationships, and make r esponsible dec isions. As we r eopen sc hool, we r ec ognize the c omplex and v ar ying ways in whic h our c ommunity member s ar e exper ienc ing this pandemic , inc luding a r ange of emotions r elated to str ess, anxiety, tr auma, loss and isolation. We plan to str engthen our SEL c ompetenc ies and suppor t str uc tur es to br oaden our definition of what lear ning is and wher e it takes plac e to c r eate a mor e inc lusiv e and equitable lear ning env ir onment and c ommunity.
QUAKER DIMENSION As a Quaker institution, spir itual dev elopment is c or e to SEL at MFS. Whether we ar e in per son, hybr id, or v ir tual, MFS will c ontinue to build time into eac h div isional sc hedule for Meeting f or Worship and spiritual prac tic es. We c ommit to teac hing our students c enter ing and mindfulness skills to suppor t their ability to pr ac tic e stillness, r eflec tion, c ompassionate listening, and speaking fr om the hear t.
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SOC IA L- EM OTION A L WELLN ESS & C OM M U N ITY SUPPORT RESOURCES At MFS we will c ontinue to assess the soc ial and emotional needs of our students, families and educ ator s and the impac t that soc ial isolation has had on the way we r e-engage and r ec onnec t as a c ommunity. MFS has intentional str uc tur es in plac e (i. e. , our adv isor y pr ogr am) to pr omote supportive ad ult-stud ent relationships to ensur e that ev er y student has a c ar ing adult in the c ommunity who c hec ks in with them r egular ly and to whom they c an r eac h out. Our c ommunity member s hav e ac c ess to mental health, tr auma, and lear ning suppor t r esour c es. In addition, we plan to pr ov ide resourc es and programming to help families thr ough this tr ansition bac k to sc hool. Webinar offer ings may inc lude: c hildr en’s use of sc r een time, dealing with feelings of isolation and fear , and the impac t of r ac e and tr auma.
STUDENT / FAMILY WELLNESS Families ar e enc our aged to r eac h out to our c ounseling staf f with any c onc er ns r elated to their c hild’s mental health or lear ning suppor t needs. Please c ontac t MS/US c ounselor Julie Lyons at jlyons@mfr iends. or g, (856) 235-2900 ext. 254; or Clair e Nic k, Coor dinator of Educ ational and Psyc hologic al Ser v ic es and Lower Sc hool Counselor at c nic k@mfr iends. or g, (856) 235-2900 ext. 280. Moor estown Fr iends Sc hool wor ks c losely with the Bur lington County Educ ation Ser v ic es Unit to pr ov ide lear ning suppor t to students identified with servic e plans to ensur e equity in lear ning for all students. As we r etur n to sc hool this fall, we will c ontinue to wor k on how these ser v ic es ar e deliv er ed. We ar e dev eloping pr oc edur es to addr ess the r etur n to sc hool of medic ally fr agile students and students with physic al or health impair ments who may r equir e additional assistanc e thr ough a 504 ac c ommodation plan. Families c an find pr oc edur es for student r efer r als and ev aluations to deter mine the eligibility for ser v ic es on the Resour c es page of myMFS under Educ ational and Psyc hologic al Ser v ic es.
FACULTY / STAFF WELLNESS Thoughtful planning has been in plac e to sustain the ener gy and well-being of our fac ulty and staff. As educ ator s ar e suppor ted, they will better be able to suppor t the soc ialemotional and lear ning needs of their students. A Community Car e Committee was c r eated dur ing the pandemic with the goal of planning ac tiv ities to c onnec t and suppor t fac ulty and staff dur ing Vir tual MFS. This c ommittee will c ontinue to pr ov ide self-c ar e and r eflec tion oppor tunities for fac ulty and staff thr oughout the summer and sc hool year .
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SOC IA L- EM OTION A L WELLN ESS & C OM M U N ITY WELCOMING STUDENTS & FAMILIES We r ec ognize that some students and families ar e tr ansitioning to a new div ision or ar e new to our c ommunity in gener al. Ther e will be oppor tunities for new and r etur ning students and families to c onnec t with eac h other , and we ar e r e-imagining what some of our offer ings will look like as we head into the sc hool year . Ther e will be v ir tual welc ome sessions in lieu of our All Sc hool Pic nic on Tuesday, September 8. In addition, we ar e planning for :
New Fa mi l y O ri en ta ti o n - W e w ill o r ient f am ilies new to MFS thr o u gh spec ially desig ned "MFS 101 and 102" p r o g r am s in late su m m er and ear ly f all and ar e c o nsider ing the additio n o f asy nc hr o no u s v ideo p r esentatio ns. O pti o n a l Lo wer Sc ho o l Pl a ygro ups f o r B egi n n i n gs Stud en ts ( PS, PK, K) w ill star t the w eek o f A u g u st 24. A dv anc ed r egistr atio n r eq u ir ed. R equi red O ri en ta ti o n f o r Al l Lo wer Sc ho o l Stud en ts w ill take p lac e S ep tem b er 1 and 2. This w ill help all stu dents r e-so c ialize and ac c lim ate to the sc ho o l env ir o nm ent. Mi d d l e/U pper Sc ho o l - The W elc o m e Fo xes Bu ddy Pr o g r am (MS ) and The U p p er S c ho o l Bu ddy Pr o g r am w ill b e assig ning b u ddies f o r new stu dents and ther e w ill b e v ir tu al m eetings b ef o r e the o f f ic ial star t o f New Stud en t O ri en ta ti o n o n Tues d a y, September 8.
DIVERSITY , EQUITY , & INCLUSION We r ec ognize that the global pandemic has exposed and exac er bated existing inequities in our sc hool c ommunity and soc iety at lar ge. In addition, c ur r ent ev ents hav e put systemic inequities at the for efr ont for us to examine how we engage ar ound these impor tant topic s while upholding the c ommitment to maintain a safe env ir onment for all students. We r ec ognize one impor tant c omponent of SEL is building soc ial awar eness and per spec tiv etaking skills whic h inc lude empathy building, appr ec iating div er sity, and r espec t and dignity of other s. We will aim to fac ilitate dev elopmentally appr opr iate c onv er sations ar ound bias, pr ejudic e, and stigma and use our c ommunity nor ms to guide our dialogue. We will c ontinue to pr ov ide r esour c es for our c ommunity to engage ar ound these topic s and addr ess any emer ging equity c hallenges that we may fac e. We will c ontinue to offer student pr ogr amming, affinity spac es, pr ofessional dev elopment for fac ulty and staff, and Div er sity and Inc lusion ev ents for families.
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CAMPUS LIFE ATHLETICS & EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES MFS r ec ognizes that athletic s, c lubs, and other ac tiv ities ar e impor tant physic al and soc ial outlets for students, and we hope to maintain these ac tiv ities as muc h as possible this c oming year . That being said, students and families should expec t modific ations to these exper ienc es in or der to r educ e r isk.
Athl eti cs Athletic s ar e a c r itic al par t of sc hool life and we plan to maintain the exper ienc e to the fullest extent possible in all sc enar ios dur ing this sc hool year (in per son, hybr id, and v ir tual). The NJSIAA has c r eated a COVID-19 Medic al Adv isor y Task For c e and Spor ts Adv isor y Task For c e that will wor k dir ec tly with the NJSIAA to pr ov ide guidelines for inter sc holastic athletic s this year . While we ar e waiting for the r elease of the star t of fall pr ac tic es and c ompetitions, the NJSIAA has shar ed that ther e is a r ealistic c hanc e that the star t of fall r egular season pr ac tic es may be delayed (fr om August 17), but it is too ear ly to pr ov ide any time fr ame sur r ounding a potential delay. As a r esult, we ask that you c ontinue to hold August 17 as a plac eholder for the star t of pr eseason and c ontinue to follow the summer wor kout sc hedule that eac h v ar sity c oac h has pr ov ided eac h team. This will help ensur e student-athletes ar e pr epar ed for the star t of the season. We also enc our age you to submit all paper wor k r equir ed to par tic ipate in athletic s, whic h is due on August 7. The CRS Athletic s subc ommittee is planning for all sc enar ios so we ar e r eady to welc ome you bac k to athletic s. An update on fall athletic s will be sent as soon as infor mation bec omes av ailable.
Cl ubs Upper Sc hool Clubs and Middle Sc hool Ac tiv ities ar e an integr al par t of the MFS exper ienc e. These c o-c ur r ic ular offer ings will c ontinue whether we ar e in per son, hybr id, or v ir tual. The for mat for the meetings may c hange depending on the guidelines av ailable.
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C A M PU S LIFE ATHLETICS & EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES, CONT' D P erformi n g Arts  Singing and v oic e pr ojec tion ar e c onsider ed higher -r isk ac tiv ities in that ther e is gr eater potential for v ir al spr ead thr ough dr oplets and aer osols. MFS is c onsider ing ways to r eimagine music , c hoir , theater , and c er tain instr umental ac tiv ities in all thr ee div isions. We deeply v alue the benefits that the per for ming ar ts br ing to our students and ar e planning for ways to keep these ac tiv ities as par t of students’ liv es, while also r educ ing any inher ent r isk. Pr ac tic ing outside and c r eating alter nativ e types of per for manc es ar e being c onsider ed for this c oming year . Many national ar ts or ganizations and lic ensing c ompanies ar e offer ing alter nativ es to tr aditional per for manc es, all of whic h ar e being c onsider ed.
LUNCH & SNACKS The Dining Hall Co m m o ns w ill no t b e u sed f o r lu nc h this y ear . In additio n to this spac e b eing r ep u r p o sed f o r o ther needs, it is no t r ec o m m ended to hav e stu dents and em p lo y ees g ather ing f o r a b u f f et-sty le lu nc h, as w e hav e in the p ast. Fo r the 2020-21 sc ho o l y ear , o u r p ar tner s at S A G E w ill p r ep ar e b o xed lu nc hes that c an b e p r e-o r der ed b y f am ilies as p ar t o f a lu nc h c o ntr ac t. These bo xed lu nc hes w ill b e c o nsu m ed in c lassr o o m s o r o u tside, dep ending o n the ag e. S tu dents ar e also w elc o m e to b r ing their o w n f o o d f r o m ho m e, bu t r ef r ig er atio n w ill no t b e av ailab le. S nac ks w ill no t b e ser v ed at any g r ade lev el and ar e no t p er m itted to b e shar ed w ith o ther s if sent f r o m ho m e.
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C A M PU S LIFE
GROUP EVENTS & GATHERINGS W e w ill hav e no lar g e-g r o u p g ather ing s o r ev ents in the A u dito r iu m , Dining Hall Co m m o ns, gy m s, o r o ther lar g e g ather ing spac es. W e w ill still p r io r itize Meeti n g f o r Wo rs hi p and w o r shipf u l exp er ienc es as a c o r e p ar t o f o u r p r o gr am , b u t w e w ill no t g ather in the Meeting Ho u se. W hile this saddens u s to m ake this dec isio n, w e also r ec o g nize that w e c anno t ef f ec tiv ely m aintain so c ial distanc e in this and o ther sp ac es o n c am p u s, w hile ac c o m m o dating lar g e nu m b er s o f stu dents and f ac u lty . S im ilar ly , a s s embl i es a n d o ther i n d o o r ga theri n gs w ill either take p lac e o u tside o r o nline, dep ending o n the c o ntent o f the ac tiv ity . A t least thr o u g h Janu ar y (f ir st sem ester ), if no t the entir e y ear , v i s i to rs to c a mpus wi l l be l i mi ted to ap p o intm ent-o nly , w ith sp ec if ic health and saf ety p r o to c o ls and p r o c edu r es in p lac e. This m eans that pa ren t/gua rd i a n a c ti v i ti es, su c h as Bac k to S c ho o l Nig ht, gu est sp eaker ev ents, and teac her c o nf er enc es, w ill hap p en v ir tu ally . Other b r o ader c am p u s ev ents w ill b e c o nsider ed o n a c ase-b y -c ase b asis to deter m ine if they w ill b e held v ir tu ally , r ec o nc eiv ed, o r c anc eled f o r the c o m ing y ear . In the near ter m , v o lu nteer s o n c am pu s w ill no t b e enc o u r ag ed.
OVERNIGHT & FIELD TRIPS MFS has m ade the dec isio n to po s tpo n e ( when po s s i bl e) o r c a n c el any o v er nig ht tr ips sc hedu led thr o u g h the end o f Janu ar y . S im ilar ly , no f ield tr ip s that r eq u ir e b u s/ c ar tr ansp o r tatio n w ill take p lac e in the f ir st sem ester . W e w ill r ev isit the latest g u idanc e and the c u r r ent inf ec tio n r ates in o u r ar ea later in the sc ho o l y ear to deter m ine o u r p o lic y f o r the sec o nd sem ester . Du e to the heav y planning, c o o r dinatio n, and c o m p lexity o f In ten s i v e Lea rn i n g ( IL) , w e hav e m ade the dif f ic u lt bu t p r o ac tiv e dec isio n to c o m p letely r ec o nc eiv e MS / U S Intensiv e L ear ning f o r 2021 as an o n-c am p u s exp er ienc e. Mo r e details w ill be f o r thc o m ing , b u t w e antic ip ate this w ill be an exc iting and u niq u e o p p o r tu nity that still m eets the lear ning g o als o f IL , allo w s o u r teac her s am p le tim e to b u ild o u t m eaning f u l exp er ienc es, and ac c o u nts f o r the u npr edic tab le g lo b al health landsc ape o f the c o m ing y ear .
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C A M PU S LIFE DROP OFF/PICK UP, EXTENDED DAY , & AFTER SCHOOL SUPERVISION The sc ho o l day this y ear r u ns f r o m 8: 15 a. m . to 3: 15 p . m . MFS is p lanning f o r s ta ggered d ro p o f f a n d pi c k up ti mes to r edu c e c o ng estio n o n c am p u s at the star t and end o f the day . Dr o p o f f w ill take plac e f r o m 7: 45 - 8: 15 a. m . and p ic k u p f r o m 3: 15 - 3: 45 p . m . Par ents/ g u ar dians o r o ther c ar etaker s w ill no t b e ab le to w alk their c hild into the b u ildings, as w e ar e lim iting v isito r s to c am p u s to ap po intm ent-o nly and o nly allo w ing c am p u s p er so nnel and stu dents into bu ilding s f o r the near ter m . That being said, p ar ents/ g u ar dians w ho w ish to p ar k and w alk their c hild u p to an o u tside do o r in o r der to c o nnec t w ith the r ec eiv ing teac her ar e w elc o m e to do so . W e ar e dev elo ping p r o to c o ls f o r dr o p o f f / pic k u p so that y o u r c hild c an saf ely enter the bu ilding u sing desig nated entr anc es. Details and sp ec if ic instr u c tio ns w ill b e f o r thc o m ing ab o u t dr o p o f f / p ic k u p p r o c edu r es. W e exp ec t to pr o v ide Exten d ed Da y (b o th b ef o r e and af ter c ar e f o r Pr esc ho o l - G r ade 4) and Af ter Sc ho o l Superv i s i o n (G r ades 5-12) f o r tho se f am ilies w ho need it. Dep ending o n the nu m b er o f f am ilies w ho p ar tic ipate, w e m ay need to u se additio nal sp ac es to f ac ilitate so c ial distanc ing. If y o u do no t ab so lu tely need this c ar e this c o m ing y ear , w e w o u ld enc o u r ag e y o u to dr o p o f f and p ic k u p y o u r c hild at the desig nated tim es. Mo r e details o n these p r o g r am s w ill b e pr o v ided bef o r e the star t o f the y ear . Please no te that Lo wer Sc ho o l Af ter Sc ho o l C l ubs w ill no t b e o f f er ed thr o u gh Janu ar y , tho u gh w e m ay r ec o nsider this dec isio n f o r the sec o nd sem ester . If f easib le, v ir tu al af ter -sc ho o l ac tiv ities f o r L o w er S c ho o l stu dents m ay b e av ailab le.
TRANSPORTATION Tr anspo r ting stu dents to sc ho o l w ill b e an essential y et c o m p lex endeav o r in the c o m ing sc ho o l y ear . Please kno w that w e r ely o n tr ansp o r tatio n p r o v ided b y a nu m b er o f to w nship s/ distr ic ts, as w ell as a p r iv ate v an ser v ic e, and do no t y et hav e c lear gu idanc e o n their p lans. W e ar e in c lo se c o m m u nic atio n w ith o u r tr anspo r tatio n p ar tner s and w ill pr o v ide m o r e inf o r m atio n as w e hav e it.
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TU ITION & FEES Moor estown Fr iends Sc hool is joining with families in a show of suppor t by pr ov iding a one-time tuitio n c red it to r eflec t the unpr edic table natur e of the 2020-21 sc hool year . This unpr ec edented dec ision by the Sc hool Committee shows the sc hool’s c ommitment to pr eser v ing our c ommunity and standing together with families as we all exper ienc e the impac ts of this global pandemic . Families with a c hild in Presc hoo l - Grad e 4 will r ec eiv e a c r edit in the amount of 10% of the family’s c ontr ibution towar d tuition per student. Families with a c hild in Grad es 5-12 will r ec eiv e a c r edit in the amount of 5% of the family’s c ontr ibution towar d tuition per student. The c r edit will appear on families’ SMART Tuition ac c ounts in time for the new sc hool year and may be used this year , r olled ov er to the 2021-22 sc hool year , or giv en bac k to the sc hool in the for m of a tax-deduc tible c ontr ibution to suppor t students, families, and pr ogr ams at MFS. MFS will issue c red its/ref und s for any unused por tion of tr anspor tation fees, Extended Day c ontr ac t fees, and lunc h c ontr ac t fees, should the sc hool’s c ampus c lose by its own dec ision or by mandate fr om the State of New Jer sey.
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WHA T WE WILL G AI N As we plan for this c oming year , it c an be easy to foc us on things we will lose or belov ed exper ienc es that will be modified due to COVID-19. The global pandemic has c er tainly alter ed our way of life and it will c hange our way of doing sc hool. That being said, it’s impor tant for us to step bac k fr om these feelings of loss to also c onsider what we will gain dur ing this exper ienc e together . Closer relatio nships between students and teac her s in an immer siv e setting A deeper , c ollec tiv e c ommitment to the mental and emotional health of c hild ren A tighter -knit c ommunity that tr usts deeply and r elies heav ily on eac h other ’s intentions, ac tions, and c ar e An inno vative mind set among teac her s who ar e thinking flexibly and c r eativ ely about how best to ser v e the needs of div er se students in a v ar iety of settings An ability, both indiv idually and c ollec tiv ely, to meet diffic ult c hallenges and to ad apt to c hanging c onditions A c ollec tiv e o penness to c hange and a r enewed sense of pur pose
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PREPA RIN G FOR REOPEN IN G: HOW FA M ILIES C A N HELP THIS SU M M ER PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE For sev er al months, we hav e all been c onfined to our homes and our loc al c ommunities. For some c hildr en, going bac k to sc hool may be a signific ant c hange in env ir onment and may r equir e a c hange in behav ior . Show c hildr en what six feet looks like and pr ac tic e keeping soc ial d istanc e in public . Moor estown Fr iends Sc hool will pr ov ide a f ac e c overing for ev er y student, but you should sec ur e a supply of fac e c ov er ings that ar e c omfor table for your c hild. Test out differ ent types and pr ac tic e wear ing them for inc r eased per iods of time eac h day in an effor t to nor malize them. Let your c hild hav e a say in the style and patter n to make it a fun exper ienc e. Pr ac tic e being out and about ar ound other people, putting soc ial distanc ing and fac e c ov er ing measur es into pr ac tic e. Explain to your c hild what sc hool might look like based on this r eopening plan. Talk to them about ho w they are f eeling about the r etur n to sc hool. As we near the star t of sc hool, MFS will pr ov ide some training vid eos about day-to-day pr oc edur es at sc hool. By watc hing those with your c hild, you c an help them ac c limate to the new nor mal.
TEACHING GOOD HY GIENE & STAY ING HEALTHY Enc our age your c hild to wash hand s fr equently and thor oughly, c ounting out 20 sec onds and r emember ing what it’s like to avoid touc hing the f ac e and eyes. Pr ac tic e c o ughing into elbows and c onsider taking your c hild’s temperature on a r egular basis, so that it doesn’t seem str ange or new.
KEEP KIDS EMOTIONALLY SAFE Watc h and listen to your c hild and be attentiv e to any c hanges in their mood or behav ior . Ask questions and reassure them that the adults in their liv es ar e her e to c ar e for them. Intro d uc e a routine that is mor e like sc hool the c loser we get to September , so that students hav e fewer adjustments to get used to. Reac h out to our c ounseling team if you hav e questions or c onc er ns spec ific to your c hild and their adjustment bac k to sc hool. For LS c ontac t Clair e Nic k ( c nic k@mfr iends. or g) or for MS/US c ontac t Julie Lyons ( jlyons@mfr iends. or g).
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C OM M ITTEE ON REOPEN IN G SC HOOL ( C RS) We ar e gr ateful to the member s of the CRS and its subc ommittees for their time, c r eativ ity, and flexibility as we c ontinue to design the best exper ienc e possible for our students. Numer ous other fac ulty and staff hav e par tic ipated in planning c onv er sations and hav e helped gener ate the plans inc luded her e. We thank ev er yone for their impor tant c ontr ibutions.
CRS M e mbe rs : Jul i a d e l a To rre, Head o f S c ho o l, Cler k Li s a C a rbo n e Wa rren , Dir ec to r o f Financ e and Oper atio ns Shu Shu C o s ta , Dir ec to r o f A dm issio ns and Financ ial A id Ev a n Ha i n e-R o berts , Middle S c ho o l Dir ec to r Jen el G i l es , L o w er S c ho o l Dir ec to r Mered i th G o d l ey , A sso c iate Head o f S c ho o l/ A c adem ic Dean No a h R a c hl i n, U p p er S c ho o l Dir ec to r Mi k e Sc hl o tterbec k , Dir ec to r o f Mar keting and Co m m u nic atio ns Stev e Za k ro f f, Dir ec to r o f Dev elo p m ent CRS S ubco mmi tte e s & M e mbe rs : AC ADEMIC S Mered i th G o d l ey , A sso c iate Head o f S c ho o l/ A c adem ic Dean, S u b c o m m ittee Cler k Shu Shu C o s ta , Dir ec to r o f A dm issio ns and Financ ial A id Ev a n Ha i n e-R o berts , Middle S c ho o l Dir ec to r Jen el G i l es , L o w er S c ho o l Dir ec to r Stev e Ko l a ri s , Dir ec to r o f Tec hno lo gy No a h R a c hl i n, U p p er S c ho o l Dir ec to r
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C OM M ITTEE ON REOPEN IN G SC HOOL ( C RS) CRS S ubco mmi tte e s & M e mbe rs , co n t'd : TEC HN O LO G Y Stev e Ko l a ri s , Dir ec to r o f Tec hno lo g y , S u bc o m m ittee Cler k Di a n a Da y, A c adem ic Tec hno lo g y Co o r dinato r Jen el G i l es , L o w er S c ho o l Dir ec to r N o a h R a c hl i n , U p p er S c ho o l Dir ec to r R a c hel Ka pl a n , Co ding Teac her SO C IAL-EMO TIO N AL WELLNESS Do t Ló pez, Dir ec to r o f Div er sity and Inc lu sio n, S u b c o m m ittee Cler k Da n i el l e Da yto n , Dir ec to r o f A thletic s Ev a n Ha i n e-R o berts , Middle S c ho o l Dir ec to r Jul i e Lyo n s , MS / U S Co u nselo r Mel i s s a Mc C o urt, Chester Reag an Chair f o r Qu aker and Relig io u s S tu dies Wi l l Mi l l er, U p p er S c ho o l Dean o f S tu dents C l a i re N i c k , Co o r dinato r o f E du c atio nal and Psy c ho lo gic al S er v ic es B ee Stri bl i n g, Middle S c ho o l Dean o f S tu dents Stev e Za k ro f f , Dir ec to r o f Dev elo p m ent HEALTH, SAFETY , & LO G ISTIC S Ma rtha C a mero n , Dir ec to r o f A u xiliar y / S u m m er Pr o g r am s, S u b c o m m ittee Co -Cler k Li s a C a rbo n e Wa rren , Dir ec to r o f Financ e and Op er atio ns, S u b c o m m ittee Co -Cler k Shu Shu C o s ta , Dir ec to r o f A dm issio ns and Financ ial A id Jul i a d e l a To rre, Head o f S c ho o l Do t Ló pez, Dir ec to r o f Div er sity and Inc lu sio n Stev e Za k ro f f , Dir ec to r o f Dev elo p m ent ATHLETIC S Da n i el l e Da yto n , Dir ec to r o f A thletic s, S u b c o m m ittee Cler k Kev i n C a ul ey, A thletic Tr ainer R o n O bermei er, A ssistant Dir ec to r o f A thletic s, Math Teac her N o a h R a c hl i n , U p p er S c ho o l Dir ec to r
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Mo o r esto w n Fr i end s School is a community rooted in Quaker va l u es a nd d ed i c a ted to the pursuit of educational excellence for a d i v er se stu d ent b o dy within an academically rigorous and balanced p r o g r a m em p ha si zing personal, ethical and spiritual growth. — F al l 1987, revised May 2011
110 EA S T M A IN S T REET M OORES TOWN , N EW J ERS EY 08057 ( 856) 235- 2900 M FRIEN D S . ORG
If you h ave an y q ues t i o n s or concerns about the reopening plan, p l eas e co n t act reopening@mfriends.org.